Pathways to poor educational outcomes for HIV/AIDS-affected youth in South Africa

Abstract

A recent systematic review of studies in the developing world has critically examined linkages from familial HIV/AIDS and associated factors such as poverty and child mental health to negative child educational outcomes. In line with several recommendations in the review, the current study modelled relationships between familial HIV/AIDS, poverty, child internalising problems, gender and four educational outcomes: non-enrolment at school, non-attendance, deficits in grade progression and concentration problems. Path analyses reveal no direct associations between familial HIV/AIDS and any of the educational outcomes. Instead, HIV/AIDS-orphanhood or caregiver HIV/AIDS-sickness impacted indirectly on educational outcomes via the poverty and internalising problems that they occasioned. This has implications for evidence-based policy inferences. For instance, by addressing such intervening variables generally, rather than by seeking to target families affected by HIV/AIDS, interventions could avoid exacerbating stigmatisation, while having a more direct and stronger impact on children's educational outcomes. This analytic approach also suggests that future research should seek to identify causal paths, and may include other intervening variables related to poverty (such as child housework and caring responsibilities) or to child mental health (such as stigma and abuse), that are linked to both familial HIV/AIDS and educational outcomes.

Orphanhood by AIDS-Related Causes and Child Mental Health: A Developmental Psychopathology Approach

“…Compared with non-orphans, AO were less likely to be attending school [22,36,64] and more likely to be delayed in school [28,31,63,65]. Among orphaned children, three studies reported AO were less likely than other-orphans to attend school [29,36,66], while another observed no group differences [22]. Cognitively, AO were also disadvantaged, showing greater concentration problems [57,66] and lower cognitive functioning [67].…”

“…Among orphaned children, three studies reported AO were less likely than other-orphans to attend school [29,36,66], while another observed no group differences [22]. Cognitively, AO were also disadvantaged, showing greater concentration problems [57,66] and lower cognitive functioning [67]. Not surprisingly, AO were also less interest in school [19,63] and evidenced more school adjustment problems [51].…”

“…However, an interaction between gender and AO status was observed in several studies such that, while female AO did not differ from female non-orphans in internalizing problems, male AO reported more internalizing symptoms than male non-orphans [19,68]. Finally, male AO showed worse school outcomes, including being behind in school [31], poorer school adjustment [51], worse school functioning [40,57], lower educational aspirations [72], less school interest [44] (Li et al, 2009), and more concentration problems [66]. Thus, being orphaned by AIDS-related causes may exacerbate vulnerabilities already associated with male gender.…”

The impact of para-professional social workers and community health care workers in Côte d'Ivoire: Contributions to the protection and social support of vulnerable children in a resource poor country

“…A study by Orkin, Boyes, Cluver, and Zhang (2014) examined the link between HIV/AIDS and associated indicators of poverty that could impact children, affecting educational outcomes, including enrollment, attendance, deficiencies in progression, and problems related to the ability to concentrate (Orkin et al, 2014). HIV/AIDS could indirectly impact a child's educational outcomes due to poverty and mental health issues.…”

‘At school I got myself a certificate’: HIV/AIDS Orphanhood and Secondary Education: a Qualitative Study of Risk and Protective Factors

“…Multiple evidences suggest that unaffordable school fees and uniforms are primary causes of non-attendance, which is correlated with poverty (Edmonds 2006) due to decreasing family incomes. Educational disadvantage often includes late arrival, lack of concentration, low school performance and resignation of career aspirations (Orkin et al 2014).…”